Boston, MA (Sports Network) – Tuukka Rask was sharp with 33 saves and the strong play of Boston’s special teams helped the Bruins defeat the New York Islanders, 5-2, at TD Garden.
Milan Lucic and Michael Ryder scored on the power play and Brad Marchand added a short-handed tally for the Bruins, who have earned at least one point in five straight games (4-0-1).
Frans Nielsen and Rob Schremp for the putrid Islanders, who have lost four straight. Since October 21, New York has only one win — the club is 1-15-3 in its last 19 games overall.
Rick DiPietro yielded three goals on 35 shots in the loss.
The Bruins opened the scoring at the 14-minute mark of the first period with a power-play goal. After a faceoff win in Boston’s offensive zone, Lucic gained control and lit the lamp with a wrister from along the inner rim of the left circle.
Another special-teams goal led to a 1-1 score. While the Islanders were skating short-handed due to a tripping minor called on Jack Hillen, Nielsen gained a breakaway and was hauled down from behind by Patrice Bergeron, which led to a penalty shot. Nielsen moved in on the uncontested breakaway and used a backhand deke move to beat Rask 3:41 into the middle frame.
When DiPietro came way out of his net to try to play the puck during a New York power play, it backfired and the disc ended up on the stick of Marchand, who moved in alone and easily deposited it into the open cage. DiPietro wasn’t within 15 feet of the net when Marchand tapped home the short-handed tally, his fourth goal of 2010-11, with 5:20 to play in the second period.
Ryder’s power-play goal with 5:44 to go in regulation made it 3-1, but Schremp answered at 16:27 to make it interesting.
However, after DiPietro was pulled for the extra attacker, Lucic and Bergeron both scored into the empty net and Boston made it look easy with the three- goal win.
The Bruins ended 2-for-4 on the power play and held the Isles scoreless on their three chances with the extra skater…Boston has captured nine of the last 11 meetings between these teams…With this win, the Bruins improved to 6-1-0 against the Atlantic Division this season…New York fell to 2-10-3 on the road…Lucic has 15 goals…Rask made 16 saves in the second period.